


I'll Be Home

by bookworm2017



Category: Sander Sides
Genre: Anxiety, Homesickness, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-09 07:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12882666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookworm2017/pseuds/bookworm2017
Summary: All  Roman and Logan want to do is get home for Christmas. They'd been away from their boyfriends for months on separate jobs, and are looking forward to getting home. Neither one of them will let some blizzard get in their way, even though Patton and Virgil insist they stay put. The lengths they'll go to get home is great, even if it means facing mother nature at her worst.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! It's officially December, so that means more Christmas stories! Though this is a bit too...angsty for it's own good I guess. I hope you enjoy it!   
> Also slight disclaimer. this is my first time writing a poly relationship, so I hope I interpreted it well. If not, don't hesitate to help me out. I want to learn and grow as a writer, so feedback is always welcome :)

“Okay I think I got everything,” Patton says, shouldering the door open with his arms filled with grocery bags. 

“Whoa, Patton, I didn’t think you were going to get this much stuff!” Virgil exclaims, hurrying over to help his boyfriend. “I don’t think the four of us can eat this much, Pat.” 

“Roman and Logan are coming home today!” Patton says, heading towards the kitchen. “I want to make sure that I have everything they love. It has to be perfect.”

Virgil shakes his head, following Patton to the kitchen. 

Today was the day their other two boyfriends, Roman and Logan, were supposed to come home after months of being away. Roman had been traveling with his theater company, and Logan had been away overseas for his job—teaching English in Italy, something they all agreed he shouldn’t pass up, even though Logan had been hesitant to go so far away. Patton and Virgil had missed both of them like crazy and couldn’t wait to have them home for Christmas. 

You’d think that having two of them away for so long, their relationship would crumble. Somehow, though, it felt stronger. They’d all video chatted at least twice a day (or they’d tried). Once when Logan was going to bed, again with just Roman, Patton, and Virgil when they were going to bed. No matter how late it got for Roman on show nights, the other two would always wait up for him. 

Logan, on his part, always made sure that there was some kind of good morning message waiting for all of them. Sometimes, when one or all of them couldn’t sleep, they’d talk with him as he went through his morning routine. 

No matter what they all made time for each other. They knew that the distance between them couldn’t dwindle their love for each other. If anything, it made it stronger with the ache of missing them. 

So Virgil couldn’t blame Patton for going overboard. He was just as excited for Roman and Logan to get back. He could finally—finally—have all of his boyfriends back in his arms again. The two of them had spent the past few days decorating the house for Christmas, making sure to put up all of Roman’s and Logan’s favorite decorations, hanging up their stockings in their preferred spot (Roman liked to have his in the middle while Logan liked his one the end). The only thing they hadn’t done was decorate the tree. That was an activity saved for the four of them to do together. 

“When’s Logan’s plane supposed to land?” Virgil ask, hopping onto the island in their kitchen. 

Patton checked his watch. “Any moment, now actually. He’s got a connecting flight in Boston, though, remember?” 

Virgil groans. “Didn’t he just have one of those?” 

“Yes, in Portugal,” Patton says, sending Virgil a small smile. “He said he’d call when he landed. Roman shouldn’t be too far away either.” 

Virgil couldn’t stop the excitement from bubbling inside of him. Finally, they’d be together again, and just in time for Christmas! 

“Hey, help me put everything away would you?” Patton asks sweetly, batting his eyelashes at Virgil. 

Virgil rolls his eyes. “If I have to.” 

Patton smiles and leans over to kiss Virgil’s cheek in thanks as they start putting the groceries away. 

 

The sound of Skype had both Patton and Virgil running for the computer. They accepted the call and Roman’s smiling face appeared. He was in a car, his headphones in and his red sparkly beanie tugged down over his ears. 

“There are my two beautiful darlings,” Roman says. 

“Ro!” Patton exclaims. “Where are you?” 

Roman chuckles. “Getting closer with every mile, my love. I just missed your lovely faces and voices.” 

“You’re such a sap, you know that?” Virgil says. 

“And who was the one who woke me up in the middle of the night at least once a week just to hear my voice?” Roman asks. 

Virgil feels a blush spread on his cheeks. “Shut up.” 

Roman grins. “You know I never minded, Virgil,” he says gently, knowing that he needed to reassure Virgil when it comes to teasing. 

Virgil gives a small smile. “I know.” 

Patton laces his fingers with Virgil’s. “When do you think you’ll be here, Ro?” He asks. 

Roman looks up, as if trying to calculate the miles. “I don’t know, honestly. We’ve hit a bit of traffic which has slowed us down.” 

Patton groans, making Roman chuckle. 

“Do not worry, my loves, I will make it back to you before nightfall.” 

“That’s toooo looonnng,” Virgil complains. 

Roman makes a face at him and Patton nudges him a little, laughing. “Can’t you two just be nice to each other for once?” Patton asks, though with a fond smile on his lips that showed he wasn’t really that annoyed. 

“What’s the fun in that?” Virgil asks. 

“At least we keep things interesting,” Roman points out. “Speaking of keeping things interesting, what’s the word on Logan? He hasn’t texted me yet.” 

Patton checked his watch and frowned. “His plane should’ve landed by now,” he mutters. “Hold on, I’ll pull up the tracker.” 

“You know, out of context, that could sound very creepy,” Virgil says offhandedly. 

Patton rolls his eyes, ignoring Virgil and pulling out his phone. It took a moment, but eventually he got up Logan’s plane. 

“Oh, they just landed!” Patton announces. “Logan probably hasn’t had time to turn his phone back on yet.” 

“Ugh, the nerd needs to hurry up! I haven’t heard his voice in two days!” Roman groans. The past two days, roman had been too busy to have a proper video chat/phone call with Logan. The last two shows had taken up nearly all of his time. He’d just barely managed to call Patton and Virgil to tell them goodnight, but of course by then, Logan would’ve already been fast asleep. 

“Be patient Roman,” Patton says gently.

“Nooo,” Roman whines, “I already have to deal with being able to touch any of you. Being able to hear you and see you like this is all I have!” 

Hearing him say that sent a thrill through Virgil. And an ache. He missed his boyfriends so much. He just wanted them home and in his arms again. That was all he wanted for Christmas this year (he’d never actually tell Roman that, because without a doubt his boyfriend would just break out into Mariah Carrie). 

The three of them chatted while they waited for Logan—Patton had already sent a text to tell him to get on as soon as he was able, so all they had to do was wait. As they were talking, though, Virgil happened to look out the window. 

“It’s snowing!” he exclaims. 

Patton looks up too, and they both looked at the very sudden white flakes fluttering down. “Snow?” Roman asks, sounding a bit nervous. 

“Yeah,” Patton says. “It’s…it’s really coming down too.” 

Roman waves away Patton’s concerned tone. “I’m sure it’s just the kind that melts as soon as it hits the ground! It’s probably just a flutter. It’ll be fine.” 

Patton nodded. “Yeah…yeah you’re probably right…” 

Vigil wasn’t too sure, though. They’d been living here for so long that by now they knew what heavy snow looked like. The kind that you’d be shoveling off your driveway for a week and make the roads impossible to go on. 

“Honey, stop it,” Patton’s gentle voice cuts through Virgil’s slowly growing concerns. He looked down and realized he’d been scratching his arm even though it hadn’t been itching. It was something he did whenever he was really nervous or scared. Patton takes Virgil’s hand in his own, scooting closer to him. 

“Do not fret, my love,” Roman says. “I will make it to you, snow or not!” 

Virgil tightens his hold on Patton’s hands, resisting the urge to pull away and start scratching again, or pick at his nails or clothes. Patton held on tightly as well, rubbing a reassuring thumb over Virgil’s knuckles. “Promise?” Virgil asks. 

“I swear it!” Roman says, sounding more confident than he probably felt. Virgil appreciated it though, and managed a small smile. 

Just then, another window popped up, and Logan’s pixelated face appeared. 

“Logan!” they all chimed happily. Logan held the phone close to his body, the sounds of airport very loud and prominent. He was obviously walking somewhere, but he did give them all a smile. 

“Hello, dears,” he says.

“Looogggannnn,” Roman whines, “I miss you.” 

“I miss you too, Roman,” Logan says, “and Patton, and Virgil, before you two start complaining.” 

“Hey it’s no fun if you don’t let us complain,” Virgil says, feeling himself relax a little when Logan rolled his eyes. 

“But they got to talk to you the past two days. I didn’t,” Roman says with a pout. 

“We did talk, Roman,” Logan points out. “You bombarded us with pictures, if I recall. In the middle of my class, too.” 

“Yeeaahhh sorry about that,” Roman says sheepishly. 

“Don’t be. My students were all very fascinated by the scenery and were even able to put some of their lessons to the test. However, the guitar one was a bit hard to explain.” 

Roman giggled and Patton and Virgil just smiled fondly, remembering the incident. Roman had been in Tennessee and had been doing a bit of sight-seeing during his lunch break and had sent a bunch of pictures to their group chat. Logan had been in the middle of a class, and hadn’t hesitated to let him know that. A few minutes after Roman had sent multiple apologies and Patton and Virgil had laughed at him for it, Logan had told them that he was projecting the phone for the whole class to see the pictures, which, of course, caused the three of them to indirectly start talking with the class. 

“You know what I mean, dork,” Roman says. 

Logan smiles. “Yes, I know. I apologize.” 

“There’s nothing you need to be sorry about,” Patton says. “None of us can control time zones.” 

“I suppose you’re right, Patton,” Logan says with a sigh. 

“Logan when do you think you’ll be home?” Virgil asks, not being able to help himself. He kept glancing at the window, watching the snowfall become more and more heavy. 

“I do not know,” Logan says. “There is some pretty bad snowfall up here.” 

“Ah, Logan—”

“So you don’t know if you’ll be home?” Virgil asks, panic slowly growing. 

Logan’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. “No no no, I wasn’t saying that, love. I will still make it home in time for Christmas. It just might not be as soon as we had anticipated.” 

Patton gripped Virgil’s hands, and Virgil couldn’t take his eyes from the window. What if they didn’t make it? Christmas was in three days, it was entirely possible that the snow could keep them away that long. 

“Virgil, love, look at us,” Logan’s voice, gentle yet demanding, said. Still, though, Virgil couldn’t look away. He heard Logan sigh. “Patton?” 

Gentle hands were on his face, then, pulling his head away from the window. Patton cupped his opposite cheek, then pressed three quick kisses onto the one closest to him. One for each of them. 

“Do not fret, darling,” Roman says. “Nothing will keep us from you! I will walk the entire way home if I have to!” 

“Please don’t,” Virgil says. “I don’t want you to get hypothermia. I couldn’t kiss you then.” 

“Hmmm yes you’re right,” Roman says. “That would be a problem.” 

Virgil grinned, Roman smirking back at him. The moment was broken, though, by a very loud voice on Logan’s side. It was hard to distinguish what the voice said, but Logan frowned. 

“What is it Lo?” Patton asks. 

Logan glances over at them. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I do have to go for a moment to double check something. I will return in a moment.” 

“Alright,” Roman says. “Hurry back!” 

Logan gives them all a smile before leaving the call. 

 

Logan sighs and tucks his phone into his jacket pocket, grabbing his suitcase, and joining the long line of people in front of the help desk. There were dozens of flights canceled because of the heavy snow storm that was hitting the northeast. Logan prayed that his flight wouldn’t be one of them. he was homesick and desperately missed his boyfriends. He was jetlagged and quite frankly ready to sleep in his own bed again, preferably while cuddled up with Patton, Virgil, and Roman. 

Once it was his turn to talk to the worker, he politely told her his flight number and whether it would be taking off at the estimated time today. He then waited patiently for her to pull it up, only to tell him that no, unfortunately that flight has been canceled until the snow storm has passed. 

“Is there an estimated date then?” Logan asks, trying very hard to keep his own panic and dread from setting in. 

“I’m sorry sir, there’s no telling. We’ll keep an eye on the storm, but it looks like it’s going to stick around for a few days.” 

Logan sighs, biting his lip. He looks up at all the flights on the board behind her, finding his own, and seeing the red canceled letters beside it. 

“Do you, perchance, know of a different way to get to Virginia?” Logan asks. “I’m expected home soon, and I’d rather not disappoint my family.” 

The worker gave a tight smile, but she pulled up a piece of paper and wrote down the directions to a train station. “I can’t guarantee they will have a ticket available at such short notice.” 

“it will have to do. Thank you,” Logan says, taking the paper and studying it. He put the company into his phone and saw, thankfully, that they still had available seats. Albeit not ideal seats, but a seat nonetheless. He wasted no time buying one for himself and started to make his way out of the airport. 

Only when he was in a taxi to the train station did he pull his phone back out to return to the call. 

“Hey Lo,” they all chime.

“What happened? Where are you?” Roman asks. 

“There has been a slight change of plans,” Logan says. 

“What do you mean?” Patton asks. 

“My flight was canceled due to the snow storm. However,” Logan says quickly, seeing Virgil’s eyes widen and Roman and Patton’s faces fall slightly, “I have found a different mode of transportation home.”

“What are you doing, Logan?” Patton asks. 

Logan opened his mouth to answer, but just then the taxi went through a tunnel and the call dropped.

“Great,” Logan says, leaning head back with a sigh. 

“Sorry bout that,” the taxi driver says. 

“It’s not your fault,” Logan says, closing his eyes. He could picture the scene that awaited him at him. Patton and Virgil would have decorated everything already. Patton would have made all of Logan and Roman’s favorite treats. They’d have movies picked out, and have everything ready for a movie night. It’d be Christmas movies, of course. They’d all cuddle together and finally be together again. Roman would sing the Christmas songs too loudly and they’d tell him to hush, but they’d all love it no matter what. 

Logan felt an ache in his chest. He wasn’t one to show his emotions so much, but being away from his loves for so long had tested a whole new level of control for him. When he’d been at work, he’d had something to distract himself with. Italy provided many different distractions in its art and architecture, but whenever Logan had gone sight-seeing, all he been able to think about was how much his boyfriends would love to be there. He saw Patton in every overly enthusiastic tourist taking pictures of literally everything they could, even if it was just a fountain or a restaurant. He saw Roman in every street performer and artist (he would join with them, Logan had no doubt). He saw Virgil in the people quietly walking the streets, silently taking in everything about the city. He could hear all the puns Patton would make about Roman being in Rome, and how he and Virgil would lovingly roll their eyes at him, even if Roman took a bit of offense to it.   
Logan smiled at the image, but it just made the homesickness worse. He slumped down in his seat in the taxi, slightly surprised to find tears on his cheek. He quickly cleared his throat and brushed them away. He’d be with them soon. He couldn’t forget that. 

The taxi exited the tunnel and Logan got signal again. He saw, though, that his battery was low. Perhaps reading on his phone before his flight in Portugal had not been the best idea. He sent a quick text saying that he was going to be home, that they shouldn’t worry, and that he loved them so, so much. He told them he had to save his battery and that he would talk with them later. 

He turned his phone off and put it away, settling in for the rest of his ride to the train station.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all your nice comments! They really mean a lot :)

“Do you think he’s okay? Why was he in a car?” Virgil asks. 

“It’s alright, Virge,” Roman says gently. “Logan knows what he’s doing.” At least Roman hoped that Logan knew what he was doing. He had to admit that he was a little concerned as well. 

“He’ll let us know if anything happens,” Patton says. 

“Not if his phone fucking dies!” Virgil exclaims. 

“Sh sh sh, honey, it’s going to be okay,” Roman says. “Logan’s smart. He’ll know how to get in touch.” 

Virgil nodded, leaning against Patton. It hurt for Roman to see him like this and not be able to help. All he wanted was to wrap his dark prince up and hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay. Of course, Roman was beyond glad that Patton was there, that they had each other. He didn’t know how they would’ve faired if they’d all separated from each other for so long. 

“Hey Ro,” Timothy, Roman’s fellow theater friend and currently the driver of the car Roman was in at the moment. “Look ahead.” 

Roman did as he was told and he felt his heart sink. The roads were closed? Was this why the traffic had been absolutely terrible for the past five miles?   
“What is it?” Patton asks. 

“Uh,” Roman gives a small smile. “Well, it seems that for some reason the roads are closed ahead. Fear not! We will find a different route.” God, this was the last thing any of them needed, especially right after Logan’s plans fell through. He could see Patton’s and Virgil’s shoulders slump, and Roman gave his best princely smile. “Don’t look so down, my loves! It will simply be a matter of finding another route home. This is just a delay. We will be together soon.” 

“Of course,” Patton says, offering his own small smile. “Do what you need to Roman. We’ll keep the bed warm for you.” 

Roman felt himself choke up at that. They’d been saying that for months. It’d started out as a joke, but the longer time they spent apart, the sadder the phrase became. It was a way of saying I love you. a way of saying I miss you. a way of saying please come home as soon as you can. 

“Ro I’m sorry but I need those directions,” Timothy says. 

Quickly, Roman clears his throat. “Yes alright,” he says. He turns back to his boyfriends and blows a kiss at them. “I love you my dears. Fret not, we will all be back together before you know it.” 

“Alright,” Virgil says, resting his head on Patton’s shoulder. 

“Ro…please be safe,” Patton says. 

Roman offered a smile. “I will my love.” 

“We love you,” Virgil says. 

“And I you,” Roman says before reluctantly ending the call. He runs his hand through his hair, leaning his head back for a moment to close his eyes. 

“Hey, man, we’ll get there,” Timothy says. “You’ll be there for Christmas.” 

Roman wanted to think so, but with this snowstorm…he was worried all the roads would be closed. Well it didn’t matter. He’d meant what he’d said. He’d walk all the way home if he had to. 

 

Virgil made dinner that night. Usually it was Patton who cooked, but Virgil could tell that his boyfriend was a bit dejected after their call with Logan and Roman. It’d been hours and they still hadn’t heard anything from Logan, though Roman had promised that he was on good track. 

Though Virgil still worried a lot about the safety of his boyfriends and whether they’d be home in time for Christmas, he was more worried about how Patton was taking this. With Virgil’s anxiety, Patton had spent so much time taking care of him that Virgil was worried that Patton wasn’t taking very good care of himself. He always tired to make sure that Patton has days that revolved solely around him so that he wouldn’t forget that Virgil cared about him. 

Now, though, Patton had locked himself in their room and hadn’t come out at all. Virgil figured that it might be a good idea to give the other boy some space. After all, Roman and Logan were supposed to be home by now. They should’ve picked Lo up from the airport over an hour ago, but after double-checking Virgil confirmed that the flight had been canceled. Ro should’ve been home even earlier. Virgil figured that both of them had held onto some kind of hope that Roman and Logan would make it today. 

Sighing, Virgil looked out the back window. It was still snowing. There was at least an inch on the ground, and it didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. He was already hearing about roads possibly being shut down and flights across the northeast being canceled. It looked like they wouldn’t be getting home any time soon. 

The oven beeped, snapping Virgil out of his thoughts. He pulled out the lasagna and set it on the oven to cool. Then he walked to the bedroom, poking his head in to check on Patton. 

His boyfriend was lying with his back facing the door, wearing one of Logan’s sweatshirts and Roman’s sweatpants. Virgil knew that at this point it was more of a comfort, since both items of clothing had lost the scent of their owners a long time ago. 

“Pat?” Virgil calls softly. “I made dinner.” 

“M’ not hungry,” Patton mumbles. Virgil could tell from his voice and from the sniffles that followed that Patton was crying. 

Virgil swallowed past the lump in his throat and walked around the bed so he could see Patton’s face. It was red and splotchy, his eyes a bit swollen too. 

“Oh honey,” Virgil says, reaching over to brush Patton’s tears away. 

Patton let out a sob. “I miss them so much,” he says, reaching for Virgil. 

Virgil moves so that Patton could lie on his chest. Virgil held onto him tightly rocking them back and forth while carding his fingers soothingly through Pat’s hair. “I know, honey, I know,” Virgil mutters, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Me too.” 

“Alright, we’ve got about three hundred miles left,” Timothy says, showing Roman his phone. “That’s about four hours, on a normal day.” 

“But now?” 

“Depends on how the roads are,” he says with a sigh. “Some of them might be open, but it’ll be hard to drive on them if there’s any ice.” Timothy fell silent for a moment, pondering. “It could take…I don’t know, another day? Maybe more.” 

“A day?” Roman asks. “The day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve! I can’t be late to Christmas.” 

“I know, I know,” Timothy says. “But Roman, there’s nothing we can do about the weather. And don’t go talking about walking. I’m not about to have three angry men out for my head because I let their boyfriend walk home in a blizzard.” 

Roman scowls down at his burger. They were at a rest stop for the night, eating their very not-healthy fast food dinner. Oh how Roman longed for Patton’s home cooked meals. “We’ll…we’ll drive as far as we can, then.” 

Timothy pats Roman’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best. I promise. Now,” he reaches into the back seat and pulls out a small bag. “I’m gonna go degreasafy my teeth, and you do your thing, alright?" 

Roman nods. Once he’s gone, Roman scoops the rest of his burger back into the bag. He felt sick just thinking about finishing the thing. He grabbed his phone and pulled up Virgil’s number before hitting send. 

It rang far longer than it usually did before Virgil answered, even then he wasn’t addressing Roman. “I’m here, I’m here honey, see? Come here, shh it’s okay.”   
“Virge?” Roman asks softly. 

“Hey Ro,” Virgil says. “Sorry, Pat’s a bit...” 

“I understand,” Roman says. “Can I talk with him?” 

“Of course.” There was a pause and then Virgil said, “you’re on speaker.” 

“Patton, love,” Roman says softly. 

“R-Roman,” Patton stutters out. Roman could hear him gasping for breath a little, like he’d been crying and was still trying to calm down from it. 

“Yes my love,” Roman says. “I’m so sorry I cannot be there to comfort you. If I could take on Mother Nature herself I would!” 

There was a bit of choked laughter. “Don’t do that,” Patton mumbles. “We need her.” 

“Yes but if she keeps me away from my loved ones I will have no choice,” Roman says. “No one will come between me and my loves!” 

“God you are such a dork,” Virgil mutters, but Roman could hear the smile in his voice. 

“I love you too,” Roman says with a small smile. 

Throughout the call, Roman could tell that the other two were very, very worried. And though he was just as worried about the lack of calls from Logan, he had to put on his brave voice in order to reassure them that everything was going to be fine. Logan was smart. He could find his way by using a few sticks and a magnet (it wasn’t Roman’s fault that the bear had destroyed everything on that camping trip…he’d just forgotten to lock everything up). Logan would be fine.   
Roman tried to reassure the other two of this, but neither seemed that convinced. He sighed, knowing that the only thing that would ease Virgil’s mind was for Logan to call. 

“Hey…how about a song?” Roman suggest softly. 

There was some sniffling on the other side, but Patton muttered, “that would be wonderful, Ro.” 

It wasn’t going to ease their minds. It wasn’t going to get Roman and Logan home faster. But it was something Roman could do, at least. 

The next morning, the roads were a little clearer. Thanks to GPS, Roman and Timothy were able to take the fastest route to take them home. It didn’t take long for them to hit the snow, though. 

“Wow,” Roman says, looking around at the white blanket that had been left overnight. 

“It’s oddly beautiful, isn’t it?” Timothy asks, switching on the windshield wipers. 

“I must admit it is,” Roman says, though he couldn’t help but think it would look a lot more beautiful from the comfort of his home. Usually on days like these, he and Patton would rope the other two into having a snowball fight, which always ended in tackling each other into the snow. Then they’d build snowmen and make snow angels and then go inside and dry off and warm up by the fire with a nice cup of hot chocolate…

Roman forced his mind away from it. If he thought about then he’d have to think about how Logan still hadn’t contacted any of them. He’d have to think about how sad and worried Patton and Virgil had sounded when they’d talked this morning. Right now, he should focus on helping Timothy watch the road so they didn’t crash. 

“Hey look, they’re open!” Timothy exclaims, pointing to a gas station. It was small, with only two pumps, but the lights were on inside and its glowing open sign was on. 

Roman felt himself sigh in relief. “Finally, something good happens,” He says. They’d been running dangerously low on gas, and had been trying to go easy, but both boys had been worried. Plus, they hadn’t eaten anything in hours and were starving. 

Timothy pulled up to the pump and the two of them got out, met immediately with the cold and wind. They wasted no time rushing inside, being met with a rush of warm air. 

“Hello?” Roman calls. 

Someone ducked out from a room behind the counter. A middle-aged man with a thick beard came out. “Well well, what are you two doin out here in this storm?”   
“Just trying to get home,” Timothy says, going over to the counter to pay for the pump. “This one is stubborn.” 

The man looks over at Roman, who gives a small wave. Timothy engaged the man in a conversation as Roman browsed the aisles, plucking snacks from the selection for both him and Timothy. 

“So I assume you’ve gotta be somewhere before a certain festive day?” the man asked Roman as he approached the counter. 

“My family,” Roman says. “We’ve been traveling around with our theater group for months. I haven’t seen them in a very long time.” 

The man nodded. “Well, now who could blame you for that? What about you?” he asks Timothy. 

“My sisters live in Richmond,” Timothy says. “Along with my two dogs.” 

“Men who love their family. I can respect that,” the man says, nodding. He started ringing them up, and as he did so, Roman’s phone rang. 

He had it out, and tried not to let himself hope before he answered it, despite not knowing the number that came up. “Logan?” he asks, walking a little ways away from the counter. “What happened my love, are you okay?” 

“Yes, Roman I’m fine,” Logan says gently, and Roman nearly cried in relief at the sound of his voice. “I wished to check on you. I know neither of us are in quite ideal circumstances.” 

Roman glanced at the very clearly old hotdogs rotating on the stand next to him. “That’s one way to put it. Anyway, I’m fine. We’ve got maybe another few hours to go, maybe more if the storm is as bad as it looks.” 

“Yes I’m afraid I’m in the same boat,” Logan says with a sigh. 

“Hey Ro!” Timothy calls. “If you’re gonna just stand there on the phone, be helpful and fill up the car.” 

Roman rolled his eyes at his friend, but took the keys and walked outside to the car. “Have you talked with Patton and Virgil yet?”

“No, I knew that they would be safe at home,” Logan says. “With you on the road in this storm…I was worried.” 

Roman couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Alright dork. But we were worried about you. You never texted or called us after you told us your flight was canceled!” 

“Y-yes I apologize,” Logan says. “Perhaps we should call the others.”

It took a few moments, but eventually all four of them were on call together. 

“Logan!” Patton exclaims. “Where were you? What happened? Are you okay?” 

“I’m find, dearest,” Logan says. “There were some…complications.” 

“Complications? What kind of complications?” Virgil asks. 

“Nothing that I couldn’t handle,” Logan assures them. “I cannot speak for long, but I wanted to check in.” 

“What do you mean you can’t talk for long?” Virgil asks, worry in his voice. “Logan what’s going on?” 

“Virgil please,” Logan says, very calmly and gently, “I promise that I am okay. I am sorry to have worried all of you. I must go soon if I plan on being home by tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” Patton asks. “Logan I thought all of the flights were canceled.” 

“I’m not flying,” Logan says. “I took a train.” 

“A train?” Roman asks, taking the gas pump out of the car and putting it back on its stand. “I didn’t think those even ran anymore.” 

“Of course they do,” Logan says. “Someone was very willing to let me use their phone so I could contact all of you, however I must return their phone to them.”   
“Lo, wait please,” Patton says, sounding distressed. 

“Yes, love?” Logan asks. 

“Just…don’t…” Patton seemed to be struggling for words. 

“Don’t do anything rash,” Roman says. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m the one telling you that.” Roman couldn’t help but be worried about how rushed Logan sounded, almost like he wanted to get off the call as soon as possible. 

“We’d rather you be safe than hurt,” Virgil says. “If something goes wrong, just stay in a safe place until it’s okay to travel again okay? If you’re not far, we’ll come get ourselves.” 

“I know, dears,” Logan says. “I promise, I will take care of myself. I still plan on seeing you all tomorrow, however.” 

Roman sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Granted, Roman had no idea what Logan was doing, but he had a bad feeling about it. “I suppose we will have to trust you.” 

“Yes, I think that is the best option.” 

Someone, probably Patton, whimpered. “I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

“I won’t,” Logan says. “Now I must go. I love you all so much.” 

They all replied with their own ‘I love you’s and Logan hangs up. 

“What do you think he’s doing?” Patton asks. 

“Hopefully nothing stupid,” Virgil mutters. 

“Logan? Do something stupid? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Roman says, looking up as Timothy—followed by the clerk?—came out of the store. “It is about time I return to my journey my loves. If all goes well, I will see you tomorrow.” 

They say their goodbyes and Roman tucks his phone away again as the two men approach him. 

“Everything good?” Timothy asks him. 

“Uh, I’ll get back to you on that,” Roman says, shaking his head. 

Timothy nods in understanding, then turns to the clerk. “James here says he can help us get home easier.” 

The clerk—James—holds up a handful of chains. “Snow chains,” he explains. “Put em on you tires and it’ll make it easier to drive over ice.” 

“That’s wonderful!” Roman exclaims. “You sir, are a true hero.” 

James smiled at that and cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll uh, I’ll help you get em on.” 

The next twenty minutes are spent putting the chains on all four tires. Once they were done, James turned to them. “What do we owe you?” Roman asks.   
James holds up his hand. “It’s on the house.” 

“But good sir I insist—”

“Nah, it’s fine,” James says, cutting him off. “I’ve got my own partner up in Maine who can’t come home because of this storm. They’d never forgive me if I kept two fellas from getting to see their own loved ones.” 

Roman felt his heart go out to this man. “Thank you,” he says sincerely. “Truly. I hope that you and your love will be together at New Years.” 

James nodded, a small, sad look in his eyes. “Me too, buddy. Me too.” 

Roman gave a small smile and held his hand out to shake. “Perhaps we will cross paths again, James. I hope to be able to meet your partner by then.” 

James shook hands with him, then Timothy, wished them farewell, and the two boys got back on the road.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, but only because I want to focus completely on Logan the next few chapters. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about him :)

“Patton would you stop pacing? It’s not going to make anything better,” Virgil says. 

“I can’t help but be worried,” Patton says, gnawing at his fingernails. Virgil sighs and gets up, stepping in Patton’s path and taking his hands away from his mouth. 

“Look, it’s late, why don’t we go to bed? Both Roman and Logan have said that they won’t be here until tomorrow. The faster we go to sleep, the sooner we’ll wake up and the closer the two of them will be to being back.” 

“But Roman hasn’t called yet,” Patton says with a pout. 

Virgil sighs, but he knew that Patton wouldn’t budge without some kind of communication from Roman at the very least. Logan, they now knew, was hard to come by communication at the moment (why, Virgil still didn’t know). Roman on the other hand…

Patton’s phone beeped and Patton lunged for it, quickly putting in his password to unlock it. His shoulder slump slightly. “It’s Roman. He says he’s not in a good calling place right now but that we should get some sleep and that he loves us.” 

“See?” Virgil says, biting back his own worry and anxiety. “Roman’s completely fine. He probably has bad reception and can’t call, or Timothy’s sleeping and he doesn’t want to wake him up. C’mon, Pat, let’s go to bed.” 

Patton sighs, but he lets Virgil lead him to bed. 

 

Patton, though worried for Roman and Logan, could see how much Virgil was keeping himself together for his sake. They were both beyond worried, and Patton figured his own agitation wasn’t helping anything. So as they were settling into bed, Patton snuggled close to Virgil and pressed kisses to his cheek and neck. 

“I’m sorry, I probably haven’t been making this any better for either of us,” Patton mutters. 

Virgil pulls him closer, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. “We’re both a bit stressed, Pat, I don’t blame you.” 

Patton sighs, relaxing against Virgil. “On the bright side, Christmas is soon.” 

Virgil chuckles. “Yeah, I finally get to give you your gift,” he says teasingly. 

Patton looks up at him with wide eyes. “Ohhh what’d you get me?” 

“You don’t get to know until Christmas!” Virgil exclaims. 

“Aw c’mon please?” Patton begs. “Can’t I get a little hint?” 

“No.” 

“A peak?” 

“Nuh-uh.” 

“A letter?” 

“Nope.” 

Patton sighed and rolled over so he was out of Virgil’s arms. “Well then I’m just going to sleep over here tonight! Since you want to be mean.” 

“Oh you’re going to pout now, are you?” Virgil asks in a teasing tone. 

“I’m not pouting,” Patton mumbles, scooting just a bit further away from Virgil. 

“Then…you wouldn’t mind if I did this!” Virgil exclaims, and suddenly Patton was being tickled all over. 

“Ahhh Virgil stooppppp!” Patton squeals, rolling over onto his back to try and fight off his boyfriend. 

“Never!” Virgil says, tickling him relentlessly. To make things worse, he started peppering Patton’s face with kisses, which only made Patton giggle even more.

Kiss, “That’s,” kiss, “not,” kiss, “fair!” kiss. 

Virgil just chuckled smugly and started rapid fire kissing until Patton got a hold of his hands and pushed him off. “Ha!” Patton exclaims, jumping off the bed. 

“Hey!” Virgil exclaims. “Get back here!” 

Patton giggles as he dashes out of the bed room, Virgil on his heels. They chase each other around the living room and kitchen before Patton finally catches Virgil around the waist and wraps his arms around him tightly. 

“Payback!” Patton says, staring to pepper kisses down Virgil’s neck and cheeks. 

“Ugh you’re sooo meeaannn!” Virgil whines, squirming in Patton’s grip. 

“You’re one talk,” Patton mutters, pressing one last sweet kiss to his cheek before letting him go. 

Virgil turns, smiling at Patton, before bringing him in for a long, sweet kiss that was a lot less playful that the ones they’d shared just a moment before. 

Suddenly, there was a loud honk right outside of the house, startling both boys so much that they jumped apart. For a moment, they both just stared at each other, neither of them daring to hope. 

“Do you think…” 

“Roman?” 

At the same time, Patton and Virgil ran to the front windows and pulled back the blinds. There was, in fact, a car being pushed to the house, two figures behind it. Patton and Virgil watched as the two people stopped right in front of the house and slumped against the car, clearly exhausted. 

Patton turns to Virgil with a wide grin before rushing to the door and flinging it open. One of them perked up when the door opened, and before Patton knew what he was doing, he was running outside into the snow barefoot and in his pajamas, Virgil close behind him. 

“Roman!” Patton exclaims, launching himself at his boyfriend. Roman caught him, letting Patton wrap his legs around him. 

“My love, I am thrilled to see you, but it’s freezing out here. Did it not occur to you to wait until I came to the door?” Roman asks, though he buried his head in the crook of Patton’s neck, his strong arms holding Patton steady. 

“I don’t really care,” Patton says. 

Roman’s body shakes with laughter and presses a kiss to Patton’s neck, making Patton cling tighter to him. 

A moment later, another weight was added but to Roman’s back. “You scared the shit out of us!” Virgil exclaims, wrapping his arms around both Roman and Patton. 

“My apologies,” Roman says, sounding very amused. 

“Okay, not that this isn’t sweet and all, but it actually is freezing out here,” Timothy says, rubbing his hands together for warmth. 

“Ah, yes, we should go inside,” Roman says. He hefts Patton up to make sure he doesn’t fall then walks the rest of the way inside. Virgil stayed close by, gripping Roman’s jacket like a lifeline. Once through the door, Roman lets Patton down only to be replaced by Virgil, who flings himself into Roman’s arms. 

“Both of you must have a death wish,” Roman says, rubbing Virgil’s arms to get him to stop shivering. 

“Well can you blame us Princey?” Virgil mutters, tightening his hold. “We missed you.” 

Roman chuckles softly, pulling back only enough to free one side so he could wrap Patton in their embrace as well. “And I you.” 

“Uh, Ro, are you okay, you’re kinda shivering,” Virgil says, noticing Roman’s trembling for the first time. 

“The battery died in my car,” Timothy says, flopping down on the couch. “We pushed it all the way here.” 

Patton smacks Roman’s chest. “Why didn’t you call us?!” 

“Well we couldn’t very well leave his car,” Roman says, tightening his grip on Patton’s waist. Patton just rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “Besides I told you two to go to sleep.” 

“We couldn’t,” Virgil says, resting his head on Roman’s shoulder. “You should’ve called us Ro.” 

“Perhaps,” Roman says, kissing the tops of their heads, “but I’m here now.” 

Virgil and Patton couldn’t help but smile at that. True. At least he was here now.

“I’m really sorry to break this up, but…” Timothy’s voice trails off. 

“Right!” Roman exclaims. “Timothy will need to stay the night until we can jumpstart his car.” 

“Of course,” Patton says, reluctantly pulling away from Roman and Virgil in order to smile at Timothy. “I’ll make up the couch for you!” 

 

Despite Virgil and Patton wanting to cling to Roman for the next month, he insisted that he needed a shower, as he hadn’t had a proper one in days. 

“I wouldn’t mind if you joined me,” he mutters to them with a wink, “but I think it’s unfair to leave Timothy out here all on his own.” 

So the two had relented and stayed out in the living room with Timothy. Patton made him a cup of hot chocolate to help him warm up until he could have a turn in the shower. 

“Sorry guys,” Timothy says as he accepts a mug from Patton. “I know you probably want to be alone tonight.” 

“Timothy, you got him to us,” Patton says. “Letting you stay is the absolute least we could do.” 

“Besides, putting up with his ego is tiring enough,” Virgil says. 

Timothy laughs at that, leaning back against the couch with a sigh. “I’m just excited to get back to my sisters…” he says, staring up at the ceiling. “One of them is in drama at her high school and she can’t stop talking about this monologue she’s been writing. She’s so excited to show it to me.” 

“That’s precious,” Patton says with a soft smile. “We’ll make sure you have everything you need to get home as soon as possible tomorrow.” 

“Yeah, you’ve gotta get back to your family,” Virgil agrees, nodding. 

Timothy gives them a small smile. “Thanks guys. 

 

Once Roman was out of the shower and Timothy was settled, they retreated to their room. Roman dropped his suit case and flopped onto the bed face first. “Home sweet home!” he shouts, his voice muffled as his head was buried in the sheets. 

Patton and Virgil exchanged grins before both of them jumped on top of Roman, making the other gasp and try to turn over. As soon as he was on his back, Patton and Virgil started peppering his face with kisses, making Roman laugh. He wraps his arms around his boyfriends, sitting up and pulling them into his lap, upsetting their kissing advantage. Nevertheless, they laughed as Roman squeezed them tightly, swinging them gently back and forth like a child who just got a new stuffed toy. 

Roman started peppering them with kisses, causing the giggling to increase. After a moment, he slowed down, giving both of them a long, slow kiss on the lips before falling back onto the bed with Patton and Virgil in his arms. The two snuggled closer to him, enjoying the feeling of Roman in their arms again.   
“I love you two,” Roman mutters. The exhaustion of being in a car for so long, plus pushing it down the street, was clearly taking its toll. 

“We love you,” Virgil says, nuzzling his head into the crook of Roman’s neck. 

“What he said,” Patton says, making both of them laugh. Patton, being closest to the one lamp that was on, rolled over to turn it off, only to snuggle even closer to Roman. 

They grow quiet after that, all of them starting to doze off a little, but mostly they were thinking about the elephant in the room. Yes, it was good for Roman to be home, but the bed still felt a little too empty. 

“I hope he’s okay,” Virgil mutters into the darkness. 

Roman hugs Virgil tighter. “Logan knows what he’s doing.” 

Patton sighs, reaching across Roman’s chest to intertwine his fingers with Virgil’s. They rest flat on Roman’s chest, and both of them could feel his heartbeat. “I hope so.” 

“He’ll be in touch soon loves,” Roman says with a yawn. “I’m sure of it.” 

Virgil and Patton smile at Roman’s sleepy voice. They both press a soft kiss to his cheeks as he nods off. Patton squeezes Virgil’s hand in comfort. “Try to rest?” he whispers. 

Virgil runs his thumb over Patton’s own. “Only if you promise.” 

Patton let’s out a small laugh. “Okay.” 

“Both of you sleep,” Roman mutters. 

That got a chuckle out of both of them, and they press closer to him. “Yes Princey,” Virgil says mockingly. Roman’s only response was to kiss his forehead.   
Eventually they all nodded off, and even though Logan was still at the front of their minds, it was the best sleep any of them had gotten in weeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so...I wanted to do a bit of experimenting with this and I think I just ended up confusing myself. Well, now I know, I guess. Sorry. I wanted to focus on getting one boy home at a time rather than going back and forth since Logan has a...more interesting time than Roman.

*IMPORTANT: This chapter takes place while Roman is still on the road. We're backing things up to follow Logan and see what he was up to. In the case of the story, this starts just after his phone cuts off in the first chapter (see above note for apology)* 

Logan’s day was not going well. 

He’d managed to get to the train just in time, which was a miracle in itself. When he got to his seat, he was disheartened to see that he was sharing a row with a bickering elderly couple. He’d squeezed passed them to get to his seat, ignoring their jabs of insults at him. Once he was settled, he pulled out his phone to turn it back on to let the others know he was okay...only for the phone to die immediately after. He sighed, then ruffled through his backpack for his phone charger, feeling the slightest bit of relief that there was a plug by his seat. Once he’d fished out the charger, he went to plug it in, only to freeze. 

The prongs were wrong. They didn’t fit into the outlet. His charger had two, thin round prongs that were set wide apart, which would be fine if he were still in Italy. 

Logan sighed, putting his head in his hands. He was an idiot. A complete goddamned idiot. He’d grabbed the wrong charger when he’d been packing. He vaguely remembered being half awake when he’d finished packing his things, having saved some things for the morning so his phone would’ve been fully charged when he left (fat good that had done him). 

To be fair, he hadn’t touched his American charger nearly the entire time he’d been in Italy. He’d given his adapter to a tourist who had been freaking out about not having their own and bought a new charger for his own phone. 

Now though…now he had a dead phone and the wrong charger. 

He sits back with a sigh. He glanced over at the elderly couple, who were now very clearly ignoring each other. “Pardon me, but do you perchance have a phone I can borrow for a moment?” Logan asks kindly. 

The woman next to him glared at him. “No! why would I have one of those devil devices?” she sneers at the phone in his hand. “You kids today relying on fake conversations to entertain yourselves…” she went on and on about the evils of cell phones. 

Logan sat and took it, not having that much of a choice. It was only when the woman found something else to complain about that Logan was able to let out a breath. He sat back in his seat and turned to the window. It looked as if he wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone until he could get near a phone. He couldn’t help the sigh. They were going to be livid. 

Oh well. There’s nothing that can be done about it now. After the lecture from the woman next to him, he didn’t feel very inclined to ask anyone else on the train. So he settled back, watching the as towns and fields went by. 

Eventually, the excitement and stress of the day caught up with him, coupled with his jet lag. He drifted off to sleep, dreaming of when he’d be home again. 

 

Logan blinked wearily, feeling that something was off. It took him a moment to realize that it was because they’d stopped moving. He sat up from where he’d been leaning against the window, rubbing his neck. Judging from the fact that most of the people in the car around him seemed to be asleep, it was the middle of the night. They seemed to be stopping for fuel, as outside was pitch black, silent. 

“We’ll be stuck here for at least an hour,” a voice said next to him, making him jump. He looked over to see the elder woman, in the middle of doing a cross word. Beside her, her husband was fast asleep on her shoulder. “It takes those workers ages to fill up a tank as big as the one on this hunk of metal.” 

“I would assume it takes a bit of fuel,” Logan says, not really paying attention to what he was saying, his mind still trying to catch up with the rest of him. He blinked, realizing that his glasses were gone. Franticly, he started searching for them, only for there to be a light tap on his shoulder. 

He looked up at the women, squinting a little to see her properly. She held out his glasses. “It’s dangerous to fall asleep with those on, you know,” she says.   
“They could end up breaking.” 

“It was not my intention to fall asleep,” Logan says. 

The woman tsks. “As soon as you feel those eyes drooping you take them off!” she whisper-shouts. “Glasses are expensive and should be taken care of.” 

As much as her nagging was kind of annoying, there was something a little familiar about it. She sounded very much like Logan’s own grandmother. “Yes, ma’am,” Logan responds with a nod. 

She sits back with a huff. “Finally, some manners,” she mutters. She readjusts her own glasses and looks down at her puzzle book. “So,” she says. “Who’s Virgil?”  
Logan blinked at that. The woman glanced at him and huffed, rolling her eyes. “You talk in your sleep,” she explains. “You kept muttering about Virgil.” 

“Ah,” Logan says with a nod. He’d been told he was a…stressful sleep talker. “He’s my…someone special to me.” 

She rolls her eyes again. “Just say boyfriend,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m not as close minded as some people from my generation, trust me.” She reaches for her purse, being careful not to wake her husband, and digs around it for a moment. She comes out with a picture, handing it to him. “My daughter, her two partners, and their kids. All big sweeties.” 

Logan smiled a little at the picture. Three people, all with their arms around each other, and two children standing in front of them. They looked happy. He handed the picture back to the woman, who gave a small smile. 

“We’re trying to go see them. I don’t know if we’ll make it in time for Christmas, though,” she says with a small sigh. 

“I’m sure they will be pleased to see you no matter what day you arrive,” Logan says. 

She offers a grateful smile to that. “I suppose all your photos are on that phone of yours,” she says, a slight bit of disdain in her voice. 

“Actually…” Logan took out his wallet and brought out a small picture. It was from Logan’s birthday last year, before he’d left. His boyfriends had treated him to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. They’d all gotten dressed up and went out and for once, everyone had behaved themselves. It was probably one of the nicest evenings Logan could remember having with them (though he did love their random adventures). In the picture they were sitting in a round booth, pressed together. Logan looked as if he were laughing, the others not bothering to hide their own grins. Logan couldn’t remember what they’d been laughing about, but he did remember and overwhelming sense of love for the three of them. 

He liked to keep the picture as a reminder for when days were hard, when his phone wasn’t an option to bring out. Every time he looked at that picture, he felt a little bit better. 

“They look like nice enough boys,” the woman says, handing the picture back to him. 

Logan chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that’s one way of putting it.” 

The woman offered a tiny smile. “Something tells me you haven’t seen them in a long time.” 

“It has been a while,” Logan admits. 

The woman pats his knee. “Don’t worry, you’ll get back to them soon. Now, do you think you can help me come up with a four letter word that means love?” 

 

Logan and the woman—Susan, he learned—sat there for hours doing crosswords. It wasn’t the worst way to spend his time. He quickly learned that Susan’s short temper explained what had happened earlier (though she stood by her opinion on phones). Eventually, though, she dozed off, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts. 

He started thinking about what his next plan of action should be. According to the website he’d booked his ticket on, this train should take him directly to Richmond, with plenty of stops in between at other stations. It seemed that the progress of the train was also slowed down due to the snow, but it was much faster than a car, at least. Once they arrived in Richmond, Logan would have to figure out a way to contact Patton and Virgil (and hopefully Roman, if he was there). They didn’t live too far away from the city, so driving out there shouldn’t be too much (hopefully). Surely there was someone who would be willing to lend him their phone long enough for Logan to tell them where he was. 

Perhaps he should see if there are any cars that happen to be selling chargers. It would be a bit of a stretch since he has a rather out of date phone, but it was worth a shot. It was better than doing nothing. 

Glancing around at the silent car, he sighs. Well…he couldn’t do anything until morning anyway

 

Logan jerked awake at the sound of multiple voices raising at once. He sat, up, confused. When had he fallen asleep? His glasses were in his lap, so he put them back on, looking around confused. 

He looked over at Susan, who had a deep scowl on her face. “What’s going on?” 

She looks over at him. “Awake are you? You slept half the day away.” 

Really? He really must have been exhausted. 

Susan sat back with a scowl. “They say we’re stuck.” 

“What?” 

She motions to the window and Logan turns to the window and sees the problem. There was a good bit of snow covering the tracks. There was no way they’d be able to get through that until it was shoveled. 

“Poor preparation on their part,” Susan spats. “Some of us have places to be!” 

She wasn’t the only one who was upset. Everyone in the car seemed to be in distress. Logan felt his heart sink as he looked out at the snow bank. How would he ever get home now? 

“Alright, everyone, listen up,” one of the attendants calls, silencing everyone. “We’ll be stuck here for at least a day. We’re about an hour from Richmond. Luckily, we’re right by a town. You’re welcome to go out and find lodging there, or stay here on the train. I’m real sorry about this, folks.” 

An hour. He was an hour away from home, from finally being with his boyfriends again. Logan pressed his head against the seat in front of him. 

“Now don’t you go giving up on yourself young man,” Susan says. “You get up, go into that town, and you find a way to contact your boys. Hearing them will renew your spirit.” She was nudging him, encouraging him to get up. 

Sighing, Logan straightens. “You’re right.” 

“Damn right I am,” she says. “Rob, move over so this young man can get out.” 

Logan gave Rob a small, sympathetic smile, but he didn’t seem to mind. He took his backpack, if only for comfort than anything else. He followed a few people who were also leaving, shoving his hands deep in his pockets as his feet hit the snow. 

Once in the town, he started walking around, looking for an electronics shop. If he could just find the right charger, he’d be able to go back to the train in no time and charge his phone there. He didn’t really want to bother other people, especially since most of them were bound to say no. 

The town was rather small, and the people who lived there didn’t seem to care about the snow or cold at all, considering that they were all walking around. Or maybe it was just people from the train. Logan didn’t know. 

Ducking into the nearest convenience store, letting out a breath of relief as the heat hit him. He was slightly shocked at how empty some of the shelves were, then remembered that Christmas was the day after tomorrow, so of course people would have bought out nearly everything. He held out some semblance of hope that they would have the charger he needed, but it seemed they were fresh out. He even asked the clerk only to be told that they wouldn’t get a fresh shipment of anything until after Christmas. 

Logan tried at least two more stores after that. The town wasn’t big enough to have a Walmart or target anywhere near it (that wasn’t at least an hours walk away), so it was all smaller stores. All of which, were either sold out or didn’t carry the charger. 

At this point, Logan was okay with just buying a new phone all together, but it seemed they were all fresh out of those too. 

Logan left the last store with a huff. He looked up and down the street, trying to think of what to do next. He supposed he could’ve asked the clerk if he could borrow a phone. He turned around to do just that when he heard a train whistle. 

He froze, confused. Why would the train be blowing it’s whistle unless…

Logan’s hand shot out and stopped the first person who crossed his path. “Excuse me, are you from the train that’s stuck just outside of town?” 

The man looked at him, confused. “They announced not too long ago for the passengers of that train to return. It seems they found a way to clear away the snow quicker.” 

“No. No no no no no,” Logan took off. He ran towards the train, ignoring everyone else in his way. He made it just in time to see the caboose disappear into the distance. 

For a moment, Logan just stood there. had that really just happened? He looked towards the plow truck, which was still pushing snow away from the train tracks, towards the forest beyond. 

Running a shaking hand through his hair, Logan turns and walks back to the town. 

Okay, Logan, think. You don’t have your suit case, so your clothes are all gone, but at least you have your backpack. That gives you at least another days worth of clothes, and you have your dead phone and wallet. Find some kind of inn and go from there. They’ll have a phone you can use. 

Logan tried to stay optimistic. It wasn’t the end of the world. He could possibly find a hotel for the night and call the others, but he had to admit that he was running a slight bit low on money. Between presents, the flights, the train ticket, and food, his checking account was dipping. 

“Mama, why does that man look sad?” 

“Luna, don’t be rude.” 

Logan looked up and over his shoulder, finding a little girl looking up at him with big green eyes. She was dressed in a purple parka and black snow boots. Her mother stood behind her, holding her hand. 

“I’m sorry, she’s a very curious girl,” the mother says. 

“It’s okay,” Logan says with a small smile. The mother and the girl turn to go, but Logan stops them before he can think about it. “Um, actually,” he says, making them both pause and look back at him. “Do you think I can borrow your phone for a moment to call my family? I was supposed to be on the train but..." his voice trailed off. 

Something like sympathy crossed the mother’s face. “Sure,” she says, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone. She pulls up the dial pad and hands it to Logan. 

“Thank you so much,” Logan says, relief flooding him. He quickly puts in Roman’s number, wanting to make sure that he was okay first. 

It rang for a moment or two before Roman answered. “Logan!” Logan smiled at Roman’s relieved voice. “What happened my love, are you okay?” 

“Yes, Roman I’m fine,” Logan says gently. “I wished to check on you. I know neither of us are in quite ideal circumstances.” 

There was a short pause. “That’s one way to put it,” Roman says with a sigh. “Anyway, I’m fine. We’ve got maybe another few hours to go, maybe more if the storm is as bad as it looks.” 

“Yes I’m afraid I’m in the same boat,” Logan says with a sigh. 

There was some yelling in the background that Logan didn’t quite understand, but Roman didn’t miss a beat in the conversation. 

“Have you talked with Patton and Virgil yet?” he asks. 

“No, I knew that they would be safe at home,” Logan says. “With you on the road in this storm…I was worried.” 

“Alright dork,” Roman says lovingly, “but we were worried about you. You never texted or called us after you told us your flight was canceled!” 

“Y-yes I apologize,” Logan says with a small sigh. “Perhaps we should call the others.”

Once getting Patton and Virgil on the call, both of them just as frantic, Logan assured them all that he was fine. For some reason, he didn’t want to mention that he very well might be stuck an hour outside of Richmond for an undetermined amount of time. no, he wouldn’t worry them any more than they already were. He’d find a way to get home by tomorrow. He had to. 

At one point he glanced over at the mother, who was now talking to another woman, her wife, Logan presumed, from the familiar way they touched and looked at each other. Also from how the little girl, Luna, called her ‘Mom.’ They did seem like they needed to get going. 

“Someone was very willing to let me use their phone so I could contact all of you, however I must return their phone to them,” Logan says, getting ready to end the call. 

“Lo, wait please,” Patton says, sounding distressed. 

“Yes, love?” Logan asks, closing his eyes against Patton’s worry. 

“Just…don’t…” Patton seemed to be struggling for words. 

“Don’t do anything rash,” Roman says. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m the one telling you that.” 

“We’d rather you be safe than hurt,” Virgil says. “If something goes wrong, just stay in a safe place until it’s okay to travel again okay? If you’re not far, we’ll come get ourselves.” 

“I know, dears,” Logan says. “I promise, I will take care of myself. I still plan on seeing you all tomorrow, however.” 

Someone sighs. Roman, probably. “I suppose we will have to trust you.” 

“Yes, I think that is the best option.” 

Someone else, probably Patton, whimpered. “I don’t want you getting hurt.” 

“I won’t,” Logan says. “Now I must go. I love you all so much.” 

They all replied with their own ‘I love you’s and Logan hangs up. 

Letting out a breath, Logan turns to see the family staring at him. He offered a small smile. “Thank you very much for allowing me to use your phone.” 

“Who were you talking to?” Luna asks. 

“Luna Fae,” her mother says, “I told you not to be rude.” 

“It’s okay,” Logan assures her. He smiles at Luna. “I was talking to my family.” 

“Like, family family or married family?” Luna asks, as if this makes complete sense to her. 

“Hmm married family sounds more correct,” he says. “Though, technically, we’re not married.”

Luna’s face lights up, like she hadn’t expected him to understand that. She starts bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Why did you tell them you were on a train when you’re not?” she asks. 

“I didn’t say I was on a train.” 

“You implied it.” 

Well. Luna was smarter than she looked. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that,” Logan says, not really wanting to get in the lying-is-bad-but-sometimes-necessary conversation. He looks at her mothers. “Do you think you can point me to the nearest inn?” 

“Yeah, we’ll walk you there. It’s on our way home anyway. I’m Kai, by the way,” the woman with dark brown eyes and a white beanie over her brown hair says.

“I’m Arlo.” She had hazel eyes and paler skin, short dyed red hair mostly covered by a blue beanie. 

“Logan,” he says, shaking hands with both of them. 

“And I’m Luna!” Luna declares. 

Arlo looks lovingly down at her daughter. “Yes, you are,” she says. “Now come on, we’ve gotta show Logan to the hotel.” 

“Okay!” Luna exclaims. 

Logan follows them, Luna skipping along happily next to her mother, so much so that Logan was actually a little worried about her slipping. 

“So, Logan,” Kai says, slowing to walk next to him. “What happened to your phone?” 

“It died,” Logan says. “and I have the charger for the wrong country.” 

Arlo looks back at him at that. “Country?” 

“I’ve been teaching English in Italy for the past year,” Logan explains. “Things got mixed up after a while.” 

Luna stops and looks over at him with wide eyes. “You’ve been to Italy?” she asks in a shocked tone. “Did they have really good spaghetti?” 

Logan chuckles at that. “Yes, they do, though my favorite is their gelato.” 

That, of course, had Luna asking what gelato was. Logan was patient, answering her questions as best he could. She was a curious girl, that was for sure, eager to learn about the world. 

After a while, they stopped at what Logan assumed was the inn. He glances inside only to see that the lobby was full. It seems that Logan was not the only person left behind. On the hotel’s sign, there was a clear no vacancy sign lit up. 

Logan feels his shoulders slump. Okay so…what now? 

“Umm..” Arlo says, biting her lip. “Well this is a problem, isn’t it?” 

Logan turns to smile at them. “It is my problem. Thank you for showing me the way here.”

“Well we’d hate to leave you stranded,” Kai says, frowning. 

“Mom, why doesn’t Logan come home with us? We have that other bedroom Aunti always sleeps in,” Luna says. 

Arlo and Kai exchange a look, as if they’d both been thinking that too. 

“I couldn’t ask to intrude on your home,” Logan says. “I’m sure I will find some solution.” 

“Don’t be silly,” Arlo says. “We don’t mind. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve taken in someone who needed it. Come on.” 

Logan gulped. He was well aware the risk these two were taking, inviting a strange man into their house, with their child, but neither of them seemed to be really giving Logan much of a choice. It didn’t look like Logan had any other option, either, save for sleeping in the snow. 

Shoving his hands deeper in his pockets, Logan follows the family.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is! The final chapter! Thank you guys so much for all your support on this story, it really means a lot to me :) I hope you enjoy!

Logan really didn’t know how he came to be here. The past day seemed to have flown by in a blur. Was it really just this morning he’d been sleeping next to Susan on a train? Was it just this morning he’d been on a train? And now…now he was eating dinner at a strangers house. 

“Mr. Logan are you okay?” Luna asks. 

Logan blinked and refocused in on his hosts. Luna was looking over at him with big concerned eyes. 

“Yes, Luna, I’m fine. It’s just been an…odd day,” Logan says, taking another bite of his spaghetti. 

“Is it because your train left?” Luna asks. 

“Ah, yes that’s part of it.” 

“Luna, eat your dinner,” Kai says, clearly taking pity on Logan. “remember you have to finish eating if you want to help Mama with the cookies.” 

“Okay!” Luna says, starting to eat her pasta with renewed energy. Logan saw Arlo smile a little out of the corner of his eye. 

“We’ve been doing cookie tests,” Arlo explains to Logan. “To see which ones are the best for Santa this year.” 

“Tonight, peanut butter!” Luna exclaims. “Will you be our taste tester Mr. Logan? Mom always says the same thing no matter what we give them.” 

Kai pretends to look offended. “It’s not my fault you two are wonderful bakers.” 

“You just like the food,” Arlo mutters. 

Kai rolls their eyes, though they were smiling fondly. “Well…you’re not wrong.” 

Logan found himself smiling to himself. The two rather reminded him a bit of Roman and Virgil, in the way they bickered. 

“Will you, Mr. Logan?” Luna asks again, cutting off her parents. 

“I’d be honored,” Logan says, knowing there was no way he could ever say no to those hopeful eyes. Also for the sake of staying on the good side of her parents.  
Luna grins and happily goes back to her dinner, satisfied. 

 

“I can’t put my finger on it.” 

Logan looked up from where he’d been sitting in their living room, reading a book he’d read probably a thousand times on this trip home. Kai was sitting in an arm chair on the other side of the room, studying him. In the kitchen, the sound of Luna’s and Arlo’s giggles sounded. 

“Pardon?” Logan asks. 

“I can’t figure out why Luna likes you so much,” they say. “Believe it or not, she’s not one to take to strangers so easily.” 

Logan just shakes his head. “I could not tell you.” 

“Hm,” Kai says, shaking their head. “I suppose there is something trustworthy about you. Still, though, it’s weird.” 

Logan didn’t exactly know how to respond to that, but thankfully he didn’t have to, because Kai went on. 

“We’ve got a friend who could possibly drive you to Richmond,” Kai says. “I’ll try calling him tonight. He’s got family in the city so it wouldn’t be a bother for him. At least it shouldn’t. after that, though…” 

“Once in Richmond, I can walk,” Logan says. “I know the way well enough.” 

Kai raises their eyebrows. “You’re going to walk? In this weather?” 

Logan shrugs. He’d been thinking about this for a while now. He didn’t want any of them to have to get on the roads (Logan knew first hand that none of them could drive on icy roads), however because Logan had worked in Richmond for years, he knew how to get home. He explained this to Kai, who only shook their head. 

“It’d be better to just call them,” they say. 

“Perhaps,” Logan agrees. “However, I do not know the status of Roman, if he is home or not. I do not want him to get home and Patton or Virgil not there to greet him.”

“Might be better than hypothermia,” Kai points out.

Logan opened his mouth to answer, but just then Luna came running in, covered in flour and batter. Arlo came chasing after her, both of them laughing. Luna attempted to hide behind Kai, but Kai just scooped her up, spinning her around. 

Logan smiled as he watched them. they were an odd bunch, sure, but then again, the best people were. Besides, Luna was obviously loved, and that was the most important thing. Besides, Logan couldn’t possibly say anything considering the personalities of his own boyfriends. He couldn’t help but think if they’d had a child how much Patton would dote on them, how much fun Roman would have playing with them, how Virgil would know just how to take care of them…  
Logan stopped that thought process before it could spiral. There wasn’t going to be a child in their lives for quite some time, if ever. Still, though, watching this family…he couldn’t help but think about what if.

 

After Luna had gotten a bath and the cookies were in the oven, Kai disappeared upstairs to call their friend, they said, to see about getting Logan a ride. That left Logan with Arlo and Luna, watching the Polar Express as they waited for the cookies to be done. Once they were, Arlo left to take them out of the oven. 

“Mr. Logan?” 

Logan looked over at Luna to where she was sitting on the floor, playing with her own toy train. “Yes?” 

“You were in Italy for a long time, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“And you said you were teaching kids there English.” 

“That is correct.” 

“Does that mean you know how to speak Italian?” she looked up at him then, her head tilted. 

“Well,” Logan considered this, “I’m in no way fluent, however I know enough to hold a conversation or communicate with my students.” 

Luna nodded, looking back down at her train. Logan frowned. “Why? Is there something you wish to know the meaning of in Italian?” 

“Kinda,” Luna mutters. 

“Then perhaps I could help you,” Logan says. 

Luna’s seems to consider it for a moment. “How do you say, ‘I love you’?” 

Logan blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that. 

“I know how to say it in English, Spanish, and French,” Luna explains, almost shyly. “Mama and Mom always tell each other they love them in those languages. I don’t know why. But I want to learn how to say it in all sorts of languages so if I ever come across someone who speaks that language, I’ll always be able to tell them that.” 

It was such childish logic that Logan smiled at the sheer simplicity of it. 

“What a perfect reason,” he says. “Very well, I believe the phrase is ti amo. Very similar to Spanish.” 

He watched as Luna mouthed the words, matching the way Logan had pronounced it. Then she looked up at him. “Do you say it to your boyfriends?” 

“Of course,” Logan says. “I always tell them that I love them.” 

“But in Italian?” 

Logan couldn’t help the amused smile on his lips. “Yes, sometimes. They pretend to be annoyed sometimes, though.” 

Luna smiled a little at that. “Just like Mom and Mama.” She pauses for a moment in thought. “What are they like?” she asks. 

Logan took a moment to think on that one. His first instinct was to say amazing, but he knew that a child like Luna would not take that answer. “They’re…well Roman’s dramatic. He’s an actor, you see, so he is very into the eccentrics. Patton is very caring and loves just about everything…” Logan went on and on. The more he talked about his boyfriends, though, the more his heart ached. He hoped Patton and Virgil ate. He hoped Roman was being careful on the road. Hell, he hoped Roman had made it home already…

“Luna, do you want to come pick out some decorations?” Arlo calls from the kitchen, breaking Logan out of his thoughts. 

Luna perks up. “Coming Mama!” she gets up to leave, but smiles at Logan. “Thank you, Mr. Logan,” she says, patting his arm as if providing comfort, before skipping out of the room. 

Logan shook his head. He’d never understand children. 

 

Five cookies and a slight stomach ache later, Logan was settling into the Rose’s guest bedroom. He could hear Kai and Arlo putting Luna to bed down the hall, their voices soft to the point where he couldn’t make out any words. letting out a breath Logan fell back on the bed. This day had been…exhausting. He still wasn’t completely adjusted to the new time, either, so even though he’d had a rather eventful day, he doubted he’d be falling asleep any time soon.  
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Logan looked up and saw Kai standing in the doorway. “Our friend, Holland said he’d take you to Richmond. Said he’d probably be here in the afternoon to let it warm up a little.” 

Logan nodded. “I appreciate everything you and your family have done for me,” Logan says. “I…do not know what I would’ve done.” 

Kai shrugs. “You would’ve figured it out, I guess,” they say. “But you’re welcome. Sleep tight.” 

“Goodnight,” Logan says, and they left. 

Sighing, Logan turns the light off and rolls onto the bed. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and he was so, so close. One more drive, and he’d be there. He’d walk all the way from Richmond. Sure, he might get scolded by his boyfriends for it, but Logan was too homesick right now to really care. 

He’d call them in the morning, but only when his news would be good news. He hoped with all of his heart that Roman was home, or at the very least safe. Maybe he was with Patton and Virgil now. The thought made Logan smile to himself. Knowing those three they probably made a big deal out of everything.  
Snuggling into the pillows, Logan sighed. Soon. He’d be with them soon. 

 

“Do you have to go Mr. Logan?” Luna asked as Logan set his back pack down on the couch. 

“I do need to get home,” Logan says. 

Luna pouts, which honestly just confused Logan. As entertaining as Luna’s questions and mindset were, he didn’t quite get what she liked about him. He’d been a mere stranger just a day ago. 

“Luna, Logan has to go back to his family,” Arlo says, kneeling by her daughter and kissing her cheek. “We can’t keep him away from them, can we?” 

Luna pouts a little. “no…” she looks up at him. “But you’ll tell us you got there okay, right? I remember when Grammy was out in the snow she was stuck for two whole days and couldn’t call anyone. So promise?” 

A bit taken aback by Luna’s request, Logan looks at Arlo, who sighs, standing. “It would be nice to know you got home safe,” she says. “Here.” She hands him a card that said ‘Doctor Arlo Rose, psychiatrist’ with a phone number and address on it. “It’s my work number, but whenever I take time off it directs to the phone I keep here,” Arlo explains. “No one ever really calls during the holidays, though, unless there’s some emergency, so if it rings I answer it.” 

Logan nods, tucking the card into the pocket of his jacket. Kai came in then, smiling at Luna before looking up at Logan. “Holland’s here.” 

Logan picks up his backpack and looks at the family. “I sincerely thank you for your hospitality,” he says. “You…did not have to take me in.”

“It’s no problem, Logan,” Arlo says. “We just hope you get home okay.” 

Logan gives a small smile and nods, about to follow Kai out the door. “Wait!” Luna exclaimed. “I almost forgot!” 

Logan paused and turned to see Luna run back into the kitchen. She came back a moment later with a box. “Cookies!” she exclaims. “For you and your boyfriends. You said they liked cookies, right?” 

For a moment, Logan was too surprised to say anything, but then he grinned. He knelt and took the box from Luna. “They love cookies,” Logan says. “And I’m positive they will love these. Thank you, Luna.” 

Luna beamed and then went to stand with Arlo, who was smiling almost proudly at her daughter. Kai, too, seemed to be holding back a smile. When Logan turned to them, they quickly turned away, clearing their throat. “Be safe Logan,” they say as he leaves. He turns and smiles, giving a small wave to the three as he walked towards the truck waiting for him. 

 

The car ride was…awkward, to say the least. Holland, while seeming to be a nice enough guy, obviously didn’t share any of the same interests as Logan. Ten minutes down the road and that was painfully obvious. From music tastes to what they generally like to talk about, so most of the ride was silent. It was only when Logan saw a sign that said they were over half-way to Richmond did Logan speak up. 

“May I borrow your phone?” He asks. 

Holland looked over at him. “Something wrong with yours?” 

“It’s dead.” 

Holland nodded and handed his phone to Logan, dial pad ready. Logan thanked Virgil’s worrisome brain for making them memorize each other’s numbers as he quickly dialed Patton’s. 

The phone rang for a few moments before Patton answered. “Hello?” 

“Patton,” Logan says, feeling his lips curl into a small smile. 

“Logan!” Patton exclaims, relief in his voice. “Thank goodness! We were so worried.” 

“I apologize for that,” Logan says with a small sigh. “Things have been strange, I suppose you could put it.” 

“Pat, Pat, let me talk to him.” 

“We can all talk to him, Princey,” 

“But I really want to talk to him.” 

“Is that Roman?” Logan asks, feeling as if a thousand weights had been lifted off of him. 

“Yeah! He got back last night. Hold on I’ll put you on speaker.” There was a brief pause and then, “Logan!” 

Logan smiled. “Hello Roman, I’m glad you hear that you made it home safely.” 

“It is nice to be back,” Roman says. “But we’re missing you! How much longer?” 

Logan glances out the window. “Maybe…I don’t know.” their journey had taken twice as long as Logan had initially thought, thanks to the snow.

“We tried calling the number you called from yesterday a few hours ago,” Virgil says. “Someone named Arlo answered?” 

“Logan, she said you had to stay with them because the train left you?” Patton asks. “What happened?” 

“Long story short, my dears, I was stranded for a while before Arlo and her family were kind enough to let me sleep at their house,” Logan says. “However now I am growing closer to you every minute.” 

“Do you…do you think you’ll be home by tonight?” Virgil asks nervously. 

“I sincerely hope so, my dear,” Logan says gently. 

“Hey man I need to call my own family,” Holland says. 

Logan sighs. “Yes, of course,” he replies before turning his attention back to his phone call. “I must go.” 

“Logan wait, please,” Patton says. “We’ve barely heard anything from you. We…we miss you!” Logan could hear Patton’s voice start to shake, and he closed his eyes, trying to keep his own emotions under control. 

“I know Patton. I’m sorry for this.” 

“Just get home to us safely, nerd,” Roman says. 

“I will.” Logan promises. “I love you all.” 

“We love you Lo,” Virgil says. “Stay safe.” 

The call ended, leaving Logan with an ache in his chest. He silently handed over the phone to Holland, and kept his eyes on the window for the rest of the car ride. 

 

When Logan saw the familiar city, he almost wanted to cry. Almost there. He was almost there. 

It was nearly dark, their drive having taken much longer than it should have because of the snow and ice. Thanks to the truck, however, it went far better than Logan could have hoped for (and considering the few days he’s had, his expectations were fairly low). 

Logan wasn’t exactly sure where Holland would drop him off at, so he was slightly surprised when the drove through the city and left it. He glanced at the other man, confused. “I thought you had relatives in the city.”

“Nah,” Holland says. “They live just a bit outside. Where do you live? I can probably drop you off. 

“My home is not for another half hour, at least.” Logan says. 

Holland nods. “Kai said that you were going to walk. Are you sure about that?” 

“No offense, but any other mode of transportation has failed me, so forgive me if I trust my own legs more.” 

Holland actually chuckled at that. “Fair enough. But it’s cold enough that maybe second guessing that is a good idea.” 

“Perhaps,” Logan says. “However I am confident I can handle it. Besides, I do not wish to keep you away from your family, especially on Christmas Eve.”  
“Okay how about this?” Holland says. “I drive you half-way between our houses. That way I still get to my family dinner at a decent time, and you don’t stay out in this cold for longer than you have to. Also, Kai and Arlo won’t kick my ass as hard.” 

Logan thought about it for a moment. “I suppose that is sufficient.” 

 

It turned out that half-way between their houses mean an hour’s walk for Logan. An hour. He could handle that. 

Holland pulled over on the side of the road and put the truck in park. 

“Thank you for your help,” Logan says. “I deeply appreciate it.” 

“No problem,” Holland says with a smile. 

Logan turns to leave, but Holland stops him. “Whoa, there, you don’t think I’m letting you walk out in the snow like that?” 

Logan gave him a confused look, but Holland just reached into the back seat. He pulled a jacket as well as an assortment of other clothing items and put them on the seat between them. 

“This jacket,” Holland says, “is great. It’s a hunting jacket, so it’s meant to keep you warm in extreme colds. Then of course we’ve got the gloves and hat, and here’s an extra pair of socks.” 

Logan looked at the clothing. “I…I couldn’t…” 

“Hey, better to be safe than sorry,” Holland says. “You can either keep it or mail it back to Kai and Arlo if you want. Oh, and here’s a flashlight so you’ll be able to see when it gets really dark.” 

Logan looked up at Holland. “Thank you.” 

“No problem,” Holland says with a satisfied smile. “Sure you don’t want me to drive you the rest of the way?” 

“You should get to your family,” Logan says, putting all the gear on. “And I should get to mine.” 

 

The streets were so dark. It seemed that with all of the snow, a lot of people had lost power. A few people had generators in their homes, but most seemed to be completely without power. The streetlights, too, were out, making the night weirdly dark and quiet. 

Despite the fact that the sun had set and no other lights seemed to be on, though, there seemed to be some kind of light around him. He could see, at least, fairly well without the flashlight—which he used only when needed so he could keep his hands warm—and the night was silent thanks to all the snow. It was oddly beautiful. 

After about half an hour of walking, it started to snow again. Great. Just what Logan needed. He hunched in the slightly oversized jacket more, trying to keep as much as himself warm as possible. Despite the extra layers, he was starting to shiver, the cold slowly creeping in. He kept his focus on his walking, making sure to keep an eye out for familiar signs. With everything covered in snow, though…it was hard. Really hard. 

Eventually it got to the point where he didn’t know how long he’d been walking, but it felt like too long. More than the hour he’d expected. It was becoming harder to think the colder he got. He kept slipping on ice too, making him fall. He probably had about a dozen bruises at this point. 

He couldn’t feel his toes. Or his face. He could barely see in front of him, he couldn’t even hold the flashlight still. He could hardly think past the cold that was almost burning. Mostly, though, he had no clue where he was. 

 

Patton stoked the fire, holding his hands in front of it to warm them. they’d been without power for a few hours now, and they were starting to feel the cold. Thankfully they had a fireplace to warm the living room, and each other to cuddle with. 

“It’s getting late,” Virgil muttered. He was sitting by the window, staring out at the front lawn. “Do you think he’s okay.” 

Patton and Roman shared a look. The truth was, they didn’t know. Not any more than Virgil did. They were all worried. “You’re just going to drive yourself crazy there, love,” Roman says gently. “Come sit by the fire with us?” 

Virgil sighs, looking like he was about to stand up and join them, but then he looked out the window and jumped up. “Someone’s out there.” 

Patton and Roman hurried to the window and followed Virgil’s gaze. Sure enough, someone was stumbling outside, looking frozen. They all watched as the person stumbled and fell sideways right into their yard and didn’t try to get back up. 

“Oh my stars!” Roman exclaims. He was already reaching for his boots and jacket. 

“Virgil help me get some more blankets,” Patton says, hurrying towards the back of the house.

 

Roman raced out to the person, who still didn’t seem to be movie. He ignored the cold as he knelt in the snow and turned the person over. 

“Logan?” he gasps. It was most definitely the face of his boyfriend, his lips blue and his eyes drooping. 

“Roman?” Logan muttered, looking up at him as if he didn’t believe that Roman was there. 

“My love!” Roman exclaims. “What on earth…” Roman shook his head. Now wasn’t the time. He quickly scooped Logan up and hurried to the house. They needed to get him warm. 

“It’s Logan!” Roman calls when he gets back to the house, slamming the door shut behind him. 

“Logan?” Virgil asks, rushing over to him. 

Patton was just staring, looking slightly scared. 

“Come on, we need to get him out of the wet clothes and by the fire, now,” Roman says, moving towards the fire. He set Logan down as close as possible, Virgil kneeling with them to sit behind Logan and help to take off his backpack, then jackets. That just seemed to make Logan shiver more. Virgil started rubbing his arms while Roman removed Logan’s shoes. “Patton get the blankets,” Roman tells him, “and some new clothes for Lo.” 

Patton nodded and left, coming back with even more piles of cloth. The boys were quick to get Logan into dry clothes, and then wrap him up in blankets. All the while, his eyes and head were starting to droop. 

“Logan, baby I need you to stay with us,” Roman says, trying to shake Logan awake. “Virgil try to keep him awake.” 

Logan, for his part, seemed to be trying. He kept shaking his head, and moving around slightly, looking at each of them as if he couldn’t believe they were there.  
“At least…I made it,” Logan says with a small sigh, leaning against Virgil. 

“You absolute dumbass,” Virgil says, shaking his head. “What made you think walking would be a good idea?” 

“Couldn’t trust anything else,” Logan mutters. “It was a matter of time before the truck broke down too.” 

None of them knew what he was talking about, but they figured they’d get the full story when Logan wasn’t on the brink of hypothermia. 

“I’ll warm up some soup for you,” Patton says. 

“I’m going to get some hot water to try and warm his feet up with,” Roman says. He caresses Logan’s cheek for a moment. “Stay with us love okay? Don’t fall asleep.” 

“Try…” Logan muttered. 

Virgil and Roman exchanged a look and Virgil nodded. He’d keep Logan awake as best he could. Roman gave a small smile and squeezed Virgil’s shoulder before getting up and going to the kitchen. 

 

Logan was simultaneously cold and warm all over. He could feel himself shivering, but he couldn’t feel the cold quite that well. He felt all the blankets around him, and Virgil’s arms around him, and the heat from the fire, but it did nothing to stop the shivering. 

“You’re okay Lo, you’re okay,” Virgil muttered, rubbing his arms even though they were covered in blankets. “You’re going to be okay, just stay awake.” 

Logan nodded. He knew that he needed to stay awake, knew that it was bad that all he wanted to do at that moment was fall asleep, but it was hard to fight his body. He snuggled closer to Virgil, forcing himself to focus on how the other boy smelled and felt.

As Roman and Patton worked, Logan lost track of how much time was passing. Every now and again Virgil would shake him awake. All Logan wanted at that point was Roman and Patton with them. He just…he just wanted them. 

“Shh, Lo, it’s alright, they’ll be here soon,” Virgil muttered. 

Logan hadn’t realized he’d spoke aloud, but he managed to nod and cling tighter to Virgil. 

Eventually Patton and Roman came back. Roman gently had Logan put his feet in the warm water, which stung at first, but gradually felt more comfortable. Patton fed him soup, insisting that he keep his arms wrapped up. The warm liquid seemed to warm his insides, and Logan started to feel a little more awake.  
Once the soup was gone and Logan wasn’t trying to fall asleep every five minutes, Patton and Roman both snuggled up to him, wrapping their arms around both Logan and Virgil. 

“Honestly Lo what were you thinking?” Patton muttered. 

“That I needed to get home by any means necessary,” Logan mutters back, leaning his head against Patton’s. 

“What did we tell you about being safe, nerd?” Roman asks. 

Logan kisses his forehead. “I blame the snow.” 

Virgil’s arms tightened around him. “Don’t do something like that ever again.” 

Logan sighed contently. He was still shivering a bit, but at least he could feel the cold. With his boyfriends there…well it was worth it. 

As the night wore on, Logan told them about what had happened. All the while, they unwrapped Logan from the blankets only to get under them with him, adding to the warmth tenfold. The only time anyone got up was to add more wood to the fire or to grab some pillows when it became obvious that they weren’t sleeping in their bed that night. When Logan told them about the cookies Luna had given him, Patton got them for them all to snack on. 

“You sound pretty taken by Luna,” Patton says. “Does this mean you want a kid?” 

The question was phrased so casually it took Logan and the others time to process it. When they did, they all sat up a little. Patton look at them with confused eyes. “What? It’s just a question.” 

Logan sighs, relaxing against Virgil and Roman as he looked at Patton. “I don’t know,” he says honestly. He glances around at his boyfriends. “Perhaps…one day.”  
“Okay let’s just…not…think about it,” Virgil says, shaking his head.

Roman presses a kiss to his cheek, then Logan’s, then Patton’s. “He’s right. It is a conversation for another day. Tonight, let’s just rejoice on all of us being together again.” 

“Okay,” Patton says with a small, tired smile. He settled against the pillows he was propped up against, his arm thrown across Logan, his hand on Roman’s thigh, his head in the crook of Virgil’s neck. 

Logan sighs. “is it okay for me to fall asleep yet?” 

“Roman,” Patton says. 

Roman sighs but gets up, coming back a moment later with a thermometer. He takes Logan’s temperature and lets out a relieved sigh. “It’s still a little low, but not in danger of anything.” 

Logan nodded, smiling a little when Roman curled back into the cuddle pile. He was still a little cold, but with the three men he loved wrapped around him, he couldn’t stay that way for long. They all stayed up talking until they drifted off to sleep, one by one. 

Logan smiled as he drifted off, warm and safe. Finally, he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay....I SAID this was the final chapter but I may write an epilogue. Maybe. If y'all want it/feel it needs one. I dunno

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted to my Tumblr, sanders-specs


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